Skip To...
When it comes to references and memes, HoYoverse is no stranger. This is especially true with their newest property, Honkai Star Rail, which is chock full of memes and pop culture. It seems the translators have had a lot of fun with Honkai Star Rail, including references to classic video games, songs, movies, and even novels. While it’s fun to hunt through each of these Honkai Star Rail moments yourself, it’s easy to miss them in the sea of dialogue throughout the game. To make it easier, here are 10 of the best references and Easter Eggs that players can find in Honkai Star Rail.
Genshin Impact Is Everywhere In Honkai Star Rail
Of course, being franchises from the same company, Honkai Star Rail is full of some great Genshin Impact references. A few of the best Genshin references include the original glider hidden in a showcase, Zhongli’s Elemental Burst meteor, a book discussing Little Timmy and his pigeons, and more.
Song of Ice and Fire Makes An Appearance
Unlike Genshin references in Honkai Star Rail, some of these moments are a bit harder to find and less prevalent throughout the game. One of these examples is an achievement that references the book A Song of Ice and Fire, a novel that would eventually lead to the Game of Thrones series. HoYoverse named this achievement a Song of Vice and Dire, an obvious nod to the book.
A Hilarious Shining Reference Hides In The Hotel
Next up, we have a reference to the classic horror movie, The Shining, lurking in Honkai Star Rail. By visiting the Goethe Hotel and checking each door, each with their own moment from the movie, players will eventually be met with two twins that reference the unforgettable and down-right creepy twins from the movie. Compared to other Honkai Star Rail Easter Eggs, this is a pretty sizable moment that fans of the movie should check out.
Honkai Star Rail Reference a Classic Meme
One thing that makes Honkai Star Rail special is its odd humor. One meme that the game references is the classic Rickroll, which involves tricking unwitting viewers into watching the video. In a letter from Ast Rickley, a hilarious inverse of Rick Astley, we are treated to a hilarious reference with lines like, “The Aeon will never give you up, never let you down…”
Honkai Star Rail Loves Pokemon References
Being a fellow turn-based strategy game, as well as a massive franchise of nerdy pop culture, Pokemon was a perfect fit for Honkai Star Rail. Between master ball references, lines of dialogue that reference Pokemon moves, and a whole game mode resembling the gameplay of the Nintendo series itself, the Pokemon references are plentiful in Honkai Star Rail.
A One Punch Man Reference Hides In The Achievements
For another tiny Honkai Star Rail achievement Easter Egg, we see a small mention of a move from the anime One Punch Man. Two of the achievements that require the player to deal a massive amount of damage are titled Serious Punch and Consecutive Normal Punches. This is a direct nod to Saitama’s finishing moves in the anime.
Honkai Star Rail Has Trash Taste
Though less of a reference, Honkai Star Rail has also featured a hilarious guest appearance from members of the massive anime podcast Trash Taste. These parts are on the smaller side and can be missed if you aren’t paying attention. If you are a fan, however, hearing their voices in Honkai Star Rail is an amazing experience.
A Subtle Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Hides In a Dialogue Option
Besides its more modern references, Honkai Star Rail also has some memes and references to classic sci-fi properties, including the novel Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. During the quest, A Moment of Peace, HoYoverse gives players a peculiar option with the simple phrase, “42.” As fans of the sci-fi novel know, this simple number is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Star Wars Meets Honkai Star Rail
Moving onto another classic sci-fi franchise, Star Wars also sneaks its way into Honkai Star Rail as well. A certain NPC will tell players that his dad made, “the Grey Sky route in 12 parsecs.” This is a reference to Han Solo’s iconic line bragging about his piloting skills and the speed of the Millennium Falcon.
Honkai Star Rail Features The Matrix
Finally, Honkai Star Rail also holds onto a few references to The Matrix series as well. In Honkai Star Rail, HoYoverse gives players the choice between “The Blue Truth,” and “The Red Lie,” which is a reference to the red pill, blue pill scenario of The Matrix. Additionally, an achievement called Bullet Time is available as well.
Besides these references, Honkai Star Rail has many more for games, movies, and shows like Ready Player One, Wizard of Oz, and Breaking Bad.
If you want to find these moments yourself, check out Honkai Star Rail available on Windows, iOS, Android, and PS5.